Introduction to Political Science

Spring 2020

Pluralism in Lebanon

Prepared by
Christina M

Date of submission
30-April 2020
 Throughout history, the Arab countries of the Middle East region were

affected by many invasions, from as early as the Mamluks and the crusades and the

Ottoman empire occupation, up until the French and British Mandates. However,

Lebanon stood out, compared to other Arab countries, as history led Maronite

Christians to settle in Mount Lebanon and Muslims along the coast, and the Druze to

find refuge in Mount Lebanon. This helped shape the multicultural aspect of Lebanon

that is known today, and which distinguishes it from neighboring countries.

Currently, Lebanon houses 12 different Christian sects, 4 Muslim, Druze and

Judaism. This vast diversity of religious sects no doubt influences the political system

under which the country is ruled. Therefore, a pluralist political system might be

favored to have different communities represented in power. Pluralism can be

categorized into political, moral, and cultural pluralism, and this system has several

impacts on the state. The political, moral, and cultural aspects of a pluralist society

represent the party representation, the ethical values, and the multiple cultural norms

that make up the society. This paper will cover the political pluralist ideology in

Lebanon, highlighting on its advantages and disadvantages.

To define pluralism, Cambridge Dictionary states that pluralism is the

“ the existence of different types of people, who have different beliefs and opinions,

within the same society.” So the idea of a pluralist society is one which embraces its

diversity, and identifies the multiplicity within it. In an attempt to allow

representation of all different sects inside the one state, following the pluralist

ideology allows the distribution of political power. Unlike totalitarianism, pluralism

allows diversity and opposing opinions to have a role in decision making and in

ruling. “Only Lebanon, with a 144-year representative tradition, has a serious history

of a parliamentary role in government, political pluralism, and public freedoms,” says

William Harris in his publication Lebanese Democracy: Battered, Flawed and

Unmatched in the Arab World. Lebanon, in fact, established a multi-sectarian

administrative council back in the mid-1800s, under the Ottoman empire occupation.

As mentioned earlier, pluralism is an ideology that interprets political and moral

actions in a democratic country. In an attempt not to allow only one group to

dominate and have total control over the state, this ideology protects the involvement

of all groups in the political system, thus securing the common good. However, one

cannot deny that several setbacks may result from not acknowledging the dominance

of certain groups over others.

One of the most noticeable forms of pluralism in Lebanon is seen in the

religious scene. The country is home to 18 sects, or at least those are the sects which

are recognized by the Lebanese government (Khalife, 2015). These sects all co-exist,

living in almost total harmony under the same laws and government, with the

Lebanese constitution preserving each sect’s right to fair political and official

representation. Lebanon was able to preserve the rights of its minorities through

abiding by the country’s 1926 constitution, not allowing the emergence of a

homogeneity-oriented Arabism to cast a shadow on minority communities as

corporate entities (Noun, 2015). The Lebanese Constitution protects different

religious rights, practices, and representation, where article 9 guarantees “the free
exercise of all religious rites” under the protection of the state. In addition, article 22

of the constitution states: “With the election of the first Parliament on a national, non-

confessional basis, a Senate is established in which all the religious communities are

represented”, furthermore ensuring “Proportional representation among the

confessional groups within each religious community.” (Article 24)

So why is pluralism important in a country as diverse as Lebanon? It is essential

because, in a country trying to heal and amend itself from the history of civil war,

pluralism would be a way to prevent further destabilization. In addition to prosperity,

a pluralist government would improve conflict resolution, encourage tolerance and

coexistence, and can as well encourage minorities to engage in power. The late pope

Jean Paul II referred to Lebanon in the 1980s as “more than a country. It is a message

of freedom and pluralism for East and West.” Despite the fact that back in the 1980s

Lebanon was influenced by the civil war, this message from Jean Paul II intended to

expand the prospect for democratic stability and tolerance in a divided society back

then.

Despite the foundation of the political system based on equality and

fairness, this system was manifested as political confessionalism. Dr. Khalil Gebara,

assistant professor in Economics at LAU, defines political confessionalism as a

system that is “governed by a power-sharing arrangement in which the country’s

major ethno-religious communities are formally represented in the official power

structure.” As the constitution indicated that the elections are organized in a “non-
confessional basis”, the fact is that the power is being divided among the political

elites, rather than different members of the civil society.

Pluralism, in its political form, should push parties to achieve a well-adjusted

government with a sense of competition to make reforms. Lebanon however

represents a perfect simulation of how diversity is used as a tool to promote

corruption and abuse of power. After the Lebanese civil war, parties emerged to

create a cult-like culture through religious idealisms. Cult leaders would then exploit

the rich variety in ethnic groups, working on the tribal instinct of human nature,

embedding distant barriers between the common people through fear and hate. This

trivial capacity for tolerance creates secular threats and tensions turning society into

an easy victim of corruption. Political parties, in depth, lose their identity and purpose

forgetting that they all serve the same country. Reforms, jobs, projects, and any

governmental matter would be divided proportionally between sects disregarding

standards of efficiency and competence. Lebanon’s democracy is a work in progress,

with imbalances due to corruption and poor accountability, it is still however the most

inclusive and participatory political system in the Arab world (Harris, 2006).

Phoenician, Greek, Roman, Arab, French, and Ottoman cultures all

have had their influence in forming the Lebanese history and identity, and contributed

to current day pluralism in the country. Pluralism could be described as a belief in

difference, this philosophy covers differences in religion, race, ethnicity and cultural

values. Historically, pluralism has been hard to achieve with differences creating

tensions between diversity and homogeneity which is why many Arab countries today
witness such a monotonic religious belief. In Lebanon however, the right to be

different is preserved, and accepted in society. “Only Lebanon, with its intellectual

and commercial ferment and its long trial and error with multi-communal

cohabitation, can show the Arab East a brighter political future”, restates Lebanese

Democracy’s author William Harris. The difficulty of implementing an ideal

democratic pluralistic state is undeniable, however, compared to the neighboring

Arab region, Lebanon has always been an example in tolerance and diversity. As Jean

Fahed spoke in front of the conference on “Dialogue and Identity”, this diversity has

led to make the Lebanese identity “constantly born and renewed, in permanent

evolution, a by-product of history and liberty.”

Bibliography

 Gebara, Khalil (9/10/2018), Pluralism in Lebanese Politics: Formalizing the

Informal Senate

 Harris, William. (2009), Lebanese Democracy Battered, Flawed, and

Unmatched in the Arab World

 Khalife, Leyla (28/11/2015), Nothing is simple in Lebanon: Guide to the 18

Sects. https://stepfeed.com/nothing-is-simple-in-lebanon-guide-to-the-18-

sects-7750

 Noun, Fady (12/5/2015), Lebanon’s Political Model, A Source of Inspiration

for Pluralist Societies. http://www.asianews.it/news-en/Lebanon

%E2%80%99s-political-model,-a-source-of-inspiration-for-pluralist-societies-

34222.html

 Rohman, Arif. (2013), The Strengths and Weakness of Pluralism Theory,

Kompasiana, 3 September 2013.

 Lebanon – Constitution, Adopted on 23 May 1926,

https://www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_protect/---protrav/---

ilo_aids/documents/legaldocument/wcms_125865.pdf